This recipe works for all kinds of dried peas and beans including Black-eyed Peas, Pinto Beans, Kidney Beans, Lima Beans, Garbanzo Beans (also called Chickpeas), Butter Beans, and Navy Beans. It does not work for lentils or split peas because they are cook much faster than the others.

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

condiments:

• sour cream
• chopped green onions (or chives if you have them)
• shredded cheddar cheese

Best method: pour dried beans out of package and into a colander/strainer.  Filter through the dried beans with your fingers, looking for bits of mud or rock.  Discard this kind of trash if you find it.  Rinse the beans under running tap water.  Pour wet beans into 3 quart pot and cover with 6-8 cups of water until water; water level is about 2 inches above the top of the beans. HINT: 1 inch = 1 finger joint (tip of finger to first joint) so 2 inches is tip of finger to second joint).

Soak beans overnight.  They will absorb most of the water.  Pour off the water the next morning and re-rinse beans.

Pour wet beans into crockpot and cover with 5 cups water, about 1 inch above the tops of the beans.

Add salt and pepper, cover and cook in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours.

In a rush?  You can skip the soaking stage, just make sure you use 7-8 cups of water (water level is about 4 inches above the tops of the dried beans).